Griffith's General Store

Hi, I'm Theresa! At The Whimsical Whisk, baking is my absolute passion. Nestled right here in the Blue Ridge Mountains, I specialize in small-batch, handcrafted treats—everything from crusty artisan breads and warm scones to fun, hand-decorated sugar cookies. I believe the best baked goods take patience, care, and a lot of heart. Everything is made by hand using traditional techniques, and I utilize a certified commercial kitchen to ensure the best quality and safety for our community. Whether you're picking up a loaf for dinner or a batch of fresh or frozen scones for weekend guests, I'm so proud to share a little piece of home with my Western North Carolina neighbors.

Moral Bees began with just a few hives on our family farm in Mitchell County, North Carolina, in 2014. With the support of my family and community, I grew a love for bees into what is now a family business rooted in the mountains of Appalachia. When honey season arrives, it’s all hands on deck. My teenage son now sells honey with me at the Yancey County Farmers Market, my husband handles bottling, and my fearless toddler loves to be with me while I work, puffing smoke on the hives whenever needed. With years of experience, multiple extractions throughout the season, and a dedication to separating frames by taste and color before spinning, I’m able to capture the distinct varietals unique to this region. Our Sourwood honey is world-renowned, and other seasonal varietals include Poplar, Blackberry, Basswood, Locust, and Wildflower. Each jar of honey is a reflection of my love for the bees and respect for the land they forage. In addition to producing honey, I mentor beekeepers, teach classes for local clubs, and raise locally adapted Appalachian honey bees.

Doc was born and raised in Jack's Creek, up in Yancey County — his family's been there for generations. He started out knapping arrowheads, learning the old way, and the knives grew out of that work. Same hands, same eye, just steel instead of stone. Every blade he makes carries a small arrowhead stamp near the heel — his signature, and a nod to where it all began. Doc isn't one to talk himself up. He'd rather let the knife speak. So I'm speaking for him: this is the real thing — hand-made in the Blue Ridge by a man who came to it the long way around.

Since 1948, Griffith's General Store has anchored Tipton Hill — a country store on NC-197 in Mitchell County where neighbors stop in for milk and groceries and end up staying for a chat. David Griffith carries the tradition forward today: shelves stocked with sourwood honey, handmade knives, and pickles from kitchens down the holler, and the kind of unhurried hospitality you only find at a real country store. Step in, stay a while, leave with a story.

I'm Nick, and North Toe Trading Co. is a one-man sawmill and woodworks based in Green Mountain, North Carolina — right where the North Toe River runs through Yancey County. Most of what I make starts with logs that came from a few miles away: walnut, cherry, oak, beech, locust. I mill them on my bandsaw, dry them, and turn them into live-edge slabs for countertops, mantels, and tabletops; raised bed garden kits built from rot-resistant local hardwoods; and rough or finished lumber for furniture and home projects. If there's a tree on your property that needs to come down — or one that already has — I can bring the mill to you and cut it where it lies. I came to this work the long way around. Before this I spent ten years running a mechanical engineering firm and four years flying as a commercial pilot. Both were good lives, but neither one ended the day with something you could put your hands on. Milling does. There's something about cracking open a log and seeing what the tree was doing for fifty or eighty years that doesn't get old — every cut is a small surprise. I treat the work the same way I treated engineering: real quotes, show up when I say, do it right the first time. The wood is the star — my job is to get out of its way and let what's in the log show through. I work mostly with neighbors and word-of-mouth in Yancey, Mitchell, Avery, and Madison counties. If you've got a project, a log, or a wall you want to put some local wood on, I'd love to help. — Nick